Home > New Gallery Director/Curator, Clara Kim, Appointed to REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater)

New Gallery Director/Curator, Clara Kim, Appointed to REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater)

Los Angeles, July 1, 2008--Mark Murphy, executive director of the REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater), today announced the appointment of Clara Kim as Gallery Director and Curator. REDCAT is California Institute of the Arts' (CalArts) downtown center for innovative visual, media and performing arts.

Playing a pivotal role at REDCAT from its inception in 2003, Ms. Kim has been the acting Gallery Director/Curator since July 2007. Previously, she served as Associate Curator with founding Curator/Director Eungie Joo. As acting Director/Curator, she boldly demonstrated her vision to take the gallery to new levels by implementing initiatives and programs such as screenings, artists' talks and special projects.

Widely admired by colleagues, artists and donors, Ms. Kim combines experience with major institutions such as The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the San Francisco Art Institute and the Walker Art Center with fresh and original perspectives on contemporary art. "She is emerging as an important curatorial voice," said Mark Murphy[1], "exemplifying the unique role of REDCAT and CalArts in this fast-changing field. The development of new works across disciplines is essential to our mission and Clara has established a strong reputation as a thoughtful 'producer' as well as a curator--planning meaningful residencies, working with artists to create new projects and helping them to realize their visions."

As Director/Curator, Ms. Kim will build upon the foundations that have defined the visual arts programming at REDCAT: the production of newly commissioned work by local and international artists who challenge the norms of mainstream practices, the publication of important first monographs for emerging and mid-career artists, and the ongoing presentation of Asian and

Latin America artists.

"Ms. Kim is uniquely qualified to direct and curate the REDCAT Gallery," said CalArts President Steven D. Lavine[2].[2] She is committed to supporting emerging and under recognized artists and has built strong relationships with colleagues throughout

Latin America and Asia as well as in Europe, and the United States. Her recent research grant from the Asian Cultural Council for travel to China, Korea and Japan will allow her to deepen further her Asian connections and knowledge."

Her curatorial involvement with artists from Asia and Latin America began in 2000 with Lee Bul: Live Forever, the artist's first solo exhibition in the U.S., a multi-institutional collaboration that was presented at the San Francisco Art Institute, Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia and the New Museum in New York among others; and with Amorales v. Amorales, a performance with Carlos Amorales that transformed the atrium of SFMOMA into a lucha libre wrestling arena.

As a cultural animator, Ms. Kim's writing has appeared in numerous exhibition catalogs and publications including Art Asia Pacific and Contemporary Magazine. She has lectured widely, participated in panels at arts and educational institutions across the country and served on prestigious national juries for the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, the California Community Foundation and

HeadlandsCenter for the Arts.

Ms. Kim received a B.A. in Art History at the

University of California at Berkeley and a M.A. in the Humanities at the University of Chicago.